Chapter 7

Ryu Geun-deok Gamjatang. I stood in front of the restaurant and looked up at the sign. It was the restaurant run by Seon-jae’s parents—one of the pilgrimage sites for Ryu Seon-jae fans. Since falling for Seon-jae, I had only been here once. I had eaten pork backbone stew with soju. At first, I pretended not to know anything and eagerly mixed rice into the stew like a regular customer, but then I got drunk alone and stared at the autographs and photos of Seon-jae on the wall like I was mesmerized—and even took pictures of them. When I paid and received the receipt, I had grabbed Seon-jae’s mother’s hand and bowed to her, saying, “Thank you for giving birth to Ryu Seon-jae.” Thinking back on it now, it was definitely drunken nonsense. Shaking my head hard, I pulled the door open. I sat down in a quiet corner. Since it was a weekday, Seon-jae’s mother was the only one in the restaurant. “One pork backbone stew and one bottle of soju, please.” Seon-jae’s mother placed a water bottle on the table and scanned me from head to toe. I wasn’t sure why she was looking at me like that, so I forced a smile. “Is someone else joining you?” “No, I’m alone.” “And you’re ordering soju?” Ah... I lowered my head and looked at my clothes. It was a school uniform. I’d come straight after school. I laughed awkwardly. “Then just cider, please.” Trying to look innocent, I made my eyes as round and gentle as possible. Seon-jae’s mother, who had looked at me strangely, placed a bottle of cider and a bottle opener on the table before returning to the kitchen. I put my hands between my thighs and looked around the restaurant. Aside from the missing autographs and photos of Seon-jae, the layout, tables, and chairs were all the same as before. I was sipping the cider when the pork backbone stew arrived. “If you need anything else, let me know.” Seon-jae’s mother said, and I raised my spoon and replied energetically, “Okay!” I started with the sausage and egg fritters from the side dishes, then picked the meat off the bones. After finishing that, I took the bones out of the stew and mixed in my rice. Then I scooped up a big spoonful and put it in my mouth. My eyes closed on their own, and I let out a hum through my nose. It was so good. Suddenly, an apron appeared next to me. Turning my head, I saw Seon-jae’s mother holding one. “It’ll splash on your uniform—wear this while you eat.” “Ah, thank you.” I took the apron and tied it around my neck. Was Chamisul doing apron marketing at every restaurant in Korea or what? The apron she gave me was the same as the one I wore at Jagam Snack Shop. I straightened the apron and picked up my spoon. I placed a piece of radish kimchi on my rice and ate it, then dipped a cheongyang chili in soybean paste and ate that too. While I was chewing, another plate of sausage and egg fritters was placed on my table. “This usually only comes out once, but this one’s on the house.” “Oh my gosh, thank you!” To receive free service from Seon-jae’s mom... I jumped up and bowed in gratitude. She waved her hand like I was being over the top. “Does it taste okay?” “Yes! It’s absolutely delicious.” I set my spoon down and gave her a thumbs-up. “You’re the first customer I’ve seen eat so happily after walking in. It makes me feel good.” Hearing that, I decided I had to eat even more enthusiastically. “You’re in high school?” “Yes.” “These days, students don’t ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) eat hangover stew. They prefer hamburgers and that kind of stuff, don’t they?” “Oh, I love yukhoe bibimbap, seonji soup, and pork backbone stew the most.” I widened my eyes and clearly pronounced the names of the dishes. Seon-jae’s mother laughed aloud. “You’ve got a taste just like mine. If you go deeper into this alley, there’s a Korean beef restaurant with amazing yukhoe bibimbap. You should try it next time.” I nodded like I was going to head there tomorrow. If I’d had a notebook and pen, I would’ve jotted down the name of the place. “My son’s probably about your age. It’d be nice if he had a girlfriend like you.” My mouth dropped open. I covered it with both hands, my face turning red. “No, no. That’s... too much for someone like me.” Seon-jae’s mother smiled gently at my flustered reaction and told me to let her know if I needed anything else before walking away. I cupped my warm cheeks in my hands and replayed the word “girlfriend” in my head. I let out a dumb little laugh and picked up my spoon again. Ma’am, in the future, I’ll come back to this restaurant and bow to thank you for giving birth to Ryu Seon-jae. I apologize in advance. I closed my eyes tightly, then opened them and resumed eating. While I was engrossed in my meal, the restaurant door opened. “Mom, I’m home!” I turned to see who was entering while dipping my chili into the soybean paste—and almost spat out everything in my mouth. It was Baek In-hyeok. My hand went limp and dropped the chili. Before I could even pick it back up, I grabbed the apron and used it to cover my face. Shit. This could look really bad. Yes, I’d come here knowing it was Seon-jae’s family’s place, but I didn’t come to see him. He should’ve been in the practice room by now. I came because the stew at Ryu Geun-deok Gamjatang was just that good—and today was just too depressing. I wanted something comforting to eat. That’s all it was. If Baek In-hyeok saw me eating here and told Ryu Seon-jae, “Hey, that girl was eating at your family’s restaurant,” then Seon-jae would definitely think something weird. I not only knew his online ID but also his parents’ restaurant. I couldn’t even swallow what was in my mouth as dread settled over me. “In-hyeok, have you eaten?” “I had lunch at school.” “No practice today?” “No, I’ve got the day off.” Still covering my face with the apron, I grabbed my bag. I took a sip of cider and pulled out my wallet. Cider was 1,000 won, and the stew was 7,000 won. I only had a 10,000-won bill. With no other option, I placed the 10,000 won on the table and stood up. I crept toward the door. Just as I reached for the handle, someone pulled it open from the outside. My head bumped into the chest of whoever opened the door. I looked down. White sneakers. Gray school uniform pants. A faint lilac scent drifted from him—the same one I had smelled on Seon-jae’s gym clothes. It was Seon-jae. The one person I absolutely couldn’t run into. My face froze. I can’t let him see my face. I stepped to the right while keeping my head down—but Seon-jae stepped the same way. He didn’t move further. I tried the left—but again, he mirrored me. An odd silence filled the air. I could feel him staring straight through me. “This.” He raised a hand and pointed at the apron covering my face. I gasped and bolted. “Huh? She’s running off with the apron.” That was Baek In-hyeok’s voice. He must’ve followed after me. I ran faster. Ma’am! I swear I’ll return the apron! I’m not stealing it! Even after I’d put distance between me and Ryu Geun-deok Gamjatang, I kept running. The apron I had forgotten to remove flapped behind me like a cape. When I entered the house, still wearing the apron-cape, my mom looked stunned. “Is that the new trend or something?” “Huh? Oh, no, not really.” I darted into my room and shut the door. I hung the apron on the doorknob and collapsed onto the bed. Lifting just my head, I stared at the apron. What the hell just happened? I sat up, tossed my bag to the floor, and took off my uniform jacket. I was pulling off my socks when my phone buzzed. Still half-wearing my left sock, I pulled my phone from my jacket pocket. A message had come in. I sat on the edge of the bed and opened it. [It was you.] What? I checked who sent it. The seller from the marketplace. Oh god. I clapped a hand over my open mouth. It was Seon-jae. Was he asking if I was the one from the restaurant just now? I stared at the two words—It was you—and then another message came in. [Why’d you steal our apron?] I didn’t steal itㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ..—I started typing frantically with a crying face, then deleted the whole thing. Should I reply or not? He hadn’t seen my face. I could just say it wasn’t me. It was probably another girl in the same school uniform. That I didn’t even know what pork backbone stew was. But the more I thought about it, I couldn’t imagine anyone else tying an apron around their face and sprinting out the door like that. Maybe I should just ignore it— Another message popped up. [If you don’t reply, I’m calling you.] What the hell. I rushed to open the chat. My hands were sweating so much that I had to set the phone down on the bed and rub my palms on the blanket. Deep breath. I picked up the phone again. Calm down, Im Sol. [Who is this?] Even I was shocked after I sent it. “Who is this?” Seriously? Pretending I hadn’t saved his number seemed like the safest move. Please, let him drop it after this. But things never go the way you hope. A notification popped up with a cheerful ping. [It’s Seon-jae. I know you’re Im Sol.] Thump. My heart dropped. Shit. Even in this panic, my heart fluttered at seeing my name typed by Ryu Seon-jae. I needed to reply—but first, I took a screenshot of the message. I was going to print it out, frame it, and hang it on my wall. I’d preserve it as an heirloom. Someday on my deathbed, I’d ask to have it buried with me. I hovered my thumb over the keypad. I needed something foolproof—something that would shut him down for good. [My name is Kim Chun-baek, age seventy. You’ve got the wrong person. I don’t know how to answer phone calls.] No message came after that. Five minutes passed. Was he buying it? I put the phone down and finally pulled off my other sock. I opened my door, tossed the socks in the washing machine, drank a glass of cold water in the kitchen, and came back to my room. I hung my uniform on the rack and changed into pajamas. Which basically meant a worn-out school sports day T-shirt and saggy sweatpants. Right before showering, just in case, I checked my phone. Nothing. School, home, school, home—life repeated itself like clockwork. Ever since I ran out of the gamjatang restaurant, I hadn’t gone to Jagam High, and Seon-jae hadn’t contacted me since that day either. During self-study, I stared at Seon-jae’s number saved in my contacts before finally pressing delete. Since I’d been thrown into the past so suddenly, I thought maybe I could return to my original time just as easily—maybe even by dozing off during class. I didn’t know how it worked, but since this contact came from the future, deleting it felt like the right thing to do. I’d searched the internet for more information about time travel, but nothing was helpful. I read somewhere that certain objects or places could allow travel through time, so I started carrying the pocket watch with me at all times. I took it out of my pocket and opened the lid. The hour hand was inching toward 1. The hour and minute hands moved extremely slowly, unlike the current time. It definitely looked broken, but the fact that it moved at all was fascinating. I closed the lid and put it back in my pocket. The eighth period ended. I put on the padded jacket I’d left on my chair, and Eun-hee laughed. “You look like it’s the middle of winter.” “You’re not cold? It was freezing this morning.” “It’s November now, after all.” With the sudden drop in early-November temperatures, my school uniform jacket just wasn’t cutting it, so I pulled out my winter coat. I was probably the only student in the whole school wearing one—but who cares? I was cold. Enjoy dinner. See you tomorrow.” I pushed in my chair and stepped out of the classroom. Maybe it was because we were nearing the end of the year, but the sun was setting fast. The wind felt even sharper in the thickening darkness. I pulled up the hood on my jacket and zipped it all the way up. Hands shoved in my pockets, I was passing through the school gate when I spotted two guys crouched outside the stationary store across the street, eating bread. Gray pants, white shirts. One had a red knit sweater under his jacket, the other a gray sweatshirt. “Why’d you eat all the cream?” “What? You were the one who asked for a bite.” “The cream’s only in the center.” “You were the first one to take a bite right after I opened the bag!” What... that silhouette seems familiar. The gu, taking a huge bite of the bread, met my eyes. Wait... Baek In-hyeok? Then the guy who lost the bread must be... I glanced to the side. In-hyeok nudged the other guy with his elbow. The guy in the gray sweatshirt turned his head. Oh god. Why were they here? Were they meeting someone? I quickly turned around and picked up speed. Whether they had business at a girls’ school or were meeting someone didn’t matter. What mattered was that I not run into Seon-jae. I sped down the street, switching my feet back and forth rapidly—when someone grabbed my backpack. Like I’d been caught by the collar, I froze and turned around. Seon-jae was holding onto my bag. “Kim Chun-baek.” “...Huh? Wh-what?” Kim Chun-baek? What was he talking about? I blinked in confusion. “You said you didn’t know how to answer calls. So I came to find you.” “Uh? I-I don’t know what you’re talking about...” Still flustered, I stuttered. Baek In-hyeok casually threw an arm over my shoulder. The message I’d sent to Seon-jae came rushing back to me, as if it were some cringey PowerPoint presentation I’d made in middle school. “I don’t have a warrant, but I’m gonna need you to come with us.” “Wait, no—I was just heading home...” “Let’s go.” Baek In-hyeok said, and Seon-jae tugged at my backpack. Dragged along without knowing why, I was too shocked to even make a proper upset face. “Can’t you just leave me here?” I asked carefully, but Seon-jae didn’t let go of my bag, and In-hyeok didn’t take his arm off my shoulder. We left the alley and walked along the main street. Sandwiched between two tall guys, I looked like a criminal being escorted. Guys, did I embezzle funds? Launder money? Was this really necessary? The sidewalk was littered with brittle plane tree leaves like someone had scattered them there. As we walked, crunching over them, Baek In-hyeok moved his hand from my shoulder to the top of my hood. “You pulled that jacket out real quick, huh?” “Huh? Uh... Aren’t you cold? I’m freezing... By the way, could you at least tell me where we’re going?” Still holding my bag, Seon-jae suddenly stopped and raised a hand to flag down a taxi. When one pulled up, he opened the back door. “We’re going to eat. Get in.” “Eat?” Before I could answer, Baek In-hyeok gave me a gentle shove. He and I sat in the back, and Seon-jae took the passenger seat. My padded jacket rustled every time I moved. After buckling his seatbelt, Seon-jae told the driver our destination. The taxi slid forward. The place he named—I knew it. The taxi was heading to Ryu Geun-deok Gamjatang. The very place where I still hadn’t returned the apron. Driver, please let me out. I’m begging you. As we rode, the radio show This Is the Era of Radio was playing. A listener’s request came on: Seo Young-eun’s “I’m Not Alone.” I sat with my fingers laced together, staring out the window. It felt like one of those old anime openings, with yellow subtitles floating across the screen. — When things are hard, look to the sky. I’m never alone. Next to me, Baek In-hyeok kept fiddling with my jacket and asked if I was hot. I raised my gaze to the sky. Ms. Seo Young-eun, I’m looking at the sky right now. What am I supposed to do when it’s hard and I’m not alone? Suddenly, the window buzzed open. Wind slapped my cheek and whipped my hair. I looked down to see In-hyeok reaching over and pressing the window switch. What the hell are you doing... He leaned forward, looking up at me. “You really looked hot in that thing.” “...No. I’m not hot.” “Really?” I batted his hand away and rolled the window back up. As the wind stopped, my hair settled back down. — On days when the pain makes you cry, try screaming once with all your heart. I stared outside, imagining myself screaming. For a moment, I wondered how he’d found me at school—but then realized it wouldn’t have been that hard. If he had asked around based on my uniform, someone could’ve pointed him in the right direction. What I really wanted to know was why Seon-jae came looking for me—and why we were heading back to Ryu Geun-deok Gamjatang. I pulled out my phone and opened our chat. Since I’d deleted his contact, only the number appeared at the top now. [My name is Kim Chun-baek, I’m seventy years old. You’ve got the wrong person. I don’t know how to answer phone calls.] That was the last message between us. And now Seon-jae had found me and actually called me “Kim Chun-baek.” What was he trying to confront me about? Lying about being someone else? Running off with the apron? Showing up at the restaurant? Knowing who he is? Even if I wanted to prepare answers in advance, there were too many questions I couldn’t answer. I slipped my phone back into my pocket and looked at Seon-jae in the front seat. Even now, seen from an angle, his face was so beautiful. A sigh escaped from the weight in my chest. I turned my head and looked out at the sky. The sun was setting. The sky had gone dark.